The campaign will be run on Indiegogo and will launch in March (date to be announced soon!).

Arroyo in Flood

]]>http://www.santafewatershed.org/arroyo-crowdfunding-2015/feed/0Love Your River Day February 14th 2015http://www.santafewatershed.org/love-your-river-day-february-14th-2015/
http://www.santafewatershed.org/love-your-river-day-february-14th-2015/#commentsWed, 21 Jan 2015 22:25:23 +0000http://www.santafewatershed.org/?p=3523Send a Valentine to the Santa Fe River

On Saturday, February 14, 2015, the Santa Fe Watershed Association, the City of Santa Fe, and Santa Fe County are hosting the Ninth Annual Love Your River Day.

Every February, we invite residents (and visitors) of all ages to join us and our official River Stewards for an hour or two, to pick up litter from the River corridor. Meet us at Frenchy’s Field Barn (intersection of Osage and Agua Fria) from 10am to noon. Fuel up with something hot to drink and baked goods donated by our local business community. We’ll form teams, give guidance, safety tips, trash bags, just bring your work gloves — and we’ll go to work.

Then come back to Frenchy’s Field, let us know what you found and where you left your trash bags, and cheer the winners of our raffle.

We also count volunteers who help us collect litter any day during the week before our Saturday event itself. For more information and to pre-register, contact Keely Jackson-Kennemore, Santa Fe Watershed Association’s Volunteer Coordinator (505-820-1696, stewards@santafewatershed.org).

Community River Clean-Ups

Love Your River Day is the first of three days each year when volunteers of all ages come together to collect litter from the Santa Fe River corridor.

This Valentine’s Day event clears winter litter from the river before spring run-off sends running water to the river again. The National Rivers Clean–up day event (June 27, 2015) clears litter after the spring winds and before the monsoon season begins. And the Hunt for the Red Rocktober Event (October 24, 2015) clears the river after the monsoon season and before freeze-up and includes a fun prize hunt for painted red rocks.

On Love Your River Day 2014, 110 volunteers gathered 178 bags of trash from the river.

Altogether in 2014, 805 volunteers collected more than 1,009 bags of trash.

Prizes

Every Love Your River Day participant is entered into a raffle for some exciting prizes donated by Adopt the River and other business sponsors. This year we have prizes donated by Outside Magazine, The Critters and Me, Collected Works, and The Screen. These are probably the best batch of prizes yet!

The 2014 SFWA Climate Masters Class learned from presentations by various people and organizations that have a stake in creating a sustainable life here in Santa Fe. Topics included renewable energy, fuel-efficient transportation, water ethics, local food suppliers, forest changes and tree mortality, recycling, and water catchment systems. These various perspectives are all critical components of sustaining our complex society and ecosystem.

As part of the class curriculum, participants are required to give 30 hours each towards a community project that will help combat the effects of Climate Change. The class was greatly surprised to learn that about 6 billion gallons of precipitation fall on Santa Fe each year, which is mostly wasted as it runs down city streets and rushes away into gutters and drainage ditches. Reese Baker, owner of “The Rain Catcher,” made a tremendous impression on the class when they were taken on a field trip to see his efficient and effective rain catchment systems. These provided enough water for a family’s use while supporting a lush outdoor environment with fruit, vegetables, perennials, and even a pond, all on just a small city lot.

Several members of the class attended one evening of the Santa Fe Community College class “Watershed Management” (ENVR 216) – part of their Sustainable Technologies Program. Instructor Aaron Kauffman, owner of “Southwest Urban Hydrology,” spoke about his land restoration and water catchment projects.

They saw first-hand the “rain gardens” he created in the parking lot at SFCC. These capture rain from the pavement’s impermeable surface to provide water for three “rain gardens” of plants and grass which are self-sustaining simply by precipitation. Seeing these simple, attractive, and efficient systems, the class decided they wanted to try their hands at creating these as their group project.

The city of Santa Fe has been working with the Santa Fe Watershed Association and others to restore the Santa Fe River and surrounding areas. The riparian habitat has been reestablished in some areas, particularly along the new Santa Fe River Trail, which has become widely used by walkers and bikers who now enjoy the beautiful environment along the walkway from St. Francis Street to Frenchy’s Field. The class found a rather barren and eroded area next to a city restoration site. They received permission from the City of Santa Fe River and Watershed Coordinator Brian Drypolcher to design and implement their Climate Masters restoration project at this site.

The class used “straw books” in trenches to provide erosion control on the riverbank slope.

Grass seed was planted on the uphill side of the straw which promotes soil retention.

Two “rain gardens” were created in the line of water flow by digging about 2 foot deep by 6 foot diameter reservoirs with sides braced with rocks. These are on-contour infiltration basin rain gardens, at the head of the incision, where erosion begins to degrade the hill. The basins are planted with native species of Four-wing Salt Bush , Winter Fat , Three Leaf Sumac , Service Berry , Western Sand Cherry, Burr Oak , Native Chokecherry , and Canadian Red Chokecherry.

The plants were suggested and in part donated by “Plants of the Southwest” for their ease of care in this environment and because they provide food, habitat and nesting materials for wildlife. Increasing vegetation also leads to cooler temperatures and lowers evaporation.

The project site can be identified by two sign posts, donated by Rhino with the Santa Fe Watershed Association logo and a rain garden diagram.

A QR code links to the SFWA Climate Masters webpage for more information.

The 2014 Climate Masters class thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience, working together on a community project, and is proud of their contribution in making the Santa Fe River habitat more vital and attractive with increased resiliency to future Climate Change.

]]>http://www.santafewatershed.org/2014-new-mexico-climate-masters-rain-gardens-project/feed/0SFWA National River Clean Up Dayhttp://www.santafewatershed.org/sfwa-national-river-clean-up-day/
http://www.santafewatershed.org/sfwa-national-river-clean-up-day/#commentsFri, 06 Jun 2014 17:22:49 +0000http://www.santafewatershed.org/?p=3247SFWA JOINS AND SUPPORTS AMERICAN RIVERS NATIONAL RIVER CLEAN UP EVENT!

SATURDAY JUNE 14th 9:30 – 12:00

ALTO PARK UNDER THE SHADE TREES BETWEEN THE BICENTENNIAL POOL AND THE TENNIS COURTS.

PLEASE BRING GLOVES AND WATER SHOES – WE’LL HAVE THE REST.

All this picture needs is YOU!

UNUSUAL RIVER FLOWS THREATEN ARTIFACTS FROM PLASTIC AGE!

We are looking for voluteers like you who thrive on fun, have an insatiable curiosity, a fondness of water, to help rescue precious 21st century objects from our hometown River!

Never has Anthro-archeo-urbanology been more rewarding! Most items are identifiable, have no hidden meanings, and have little regulatory designations. Find a bicycle frame – haul it home – its yours. Best of all you will be rescuing the Santa Fe River from discarded items from the Plastic Age.

On June 14th SFWA experts well trained in River excavation techniques will train, register and assign you a site along the SANTA FE RIVER .

We promise a find every few minutes, a memorable day, and a lucky winner of a LA BOCA/TABERNA will have dinner on us, and more.

See you Saturday.

]]>http://www.santafewatershed.org/sfwa-national-river-clean-up-day/feed/0Earth Day at the Railyard Parkhttp://www.santafewatershed.org/earth-day-at-the-railyard-park/
http://www.santafewatershed.org/earth-day-at-the-railyard-park/#commentsMon, 21 Apr 2014 03:10:08 +0000http://www.santafewatershed.org/?p=3199 On Saturday April 26th, the Santa Fe Watershed Association will be at the Railyard Park for an Earth Day event! Come on by and visit with us and check out all of the other [...]]]> On Saturday April 26th, the Santa Fe Watershed Association will be at the Railyard Park for an Earth Day event!

Come on by and visit with us and check out all of the other cool stuff happening!

]]>http://www.santafewatershed.org/earth-day-at-the-railyard-park/feed/0Whole Foods Local Heroes Facebook Fundraiserhttp://www.santafewatershed.org/whole-foods-local-heroes-facebook-fundraiser/
http://www.santafewatershed.org/whole-foods-local-heroes-facebook-fundraiser/#commentsMon, 21 Apr 2014 02:49:23 +0000http://www.santafewatershed.org/?p=3195Whole Foods Facebook Local Heroes Fundraiser is on until the end of April!

You can help the Santa Fe Watershed Association reach 1000 votes and receive a donation of $1000 from Whole Foods Santa Fe. It’s very simple! All you have to do is visit Whole Foods Santa Fe’s Facebook page and “like” our photo (follow this link). The vote is open until the end of April, so help us by liking the photo and sharing with your friends!

]]>http://www.santafewatershed.org/wildfireneighborhoodmeeting/feed/0City of Santa Fe Water Division Updatehttp://www.santafewatershed.org/city-of-santa-fe-water-division-update/
http://www.santafewatershed.org/city-of-santa-fe-water-division-update/#commentsMon, 07 Apr 2014 02:22:10 +0000http://www.santafewatershed.org/?p=3180 March 21, 2014 City of Santa Fe Water Division Update The City of Santa Fe Water Division is currently managing the reservoir releases of surface water out of McClure Reservoir to keep the [...]]]> March 21, 2014

The City of Santa Fe Water Division is currently managing the reservoir releases of surface water out of McClure Reservoir to keep the reservoir at acceptable storage levels, prepare for spring runoff, and avoid abnormally high elevations of stored water over extended periods of time. These reservoir management releases to the Santa Fe River will help improve the quality of the raw water supply for the Canyon Road Water Treatment Plant by mobilizing accumulated sediment and debris in the river channel above the water treatment plant intake; allow future snowmelt and spring runoff to be captured for our drinking water supply; and safely allow future drawdown of the volume of water within McClure Reservoir to allow for the intake tower reconstruction scheduled in September of 2014. These actions by the Water Division continue the commitment to maximize the availability of a reliable supply of drinking water to its customers, while fulfilling prior obligations to irrigators and a Living Santa Fe River.

“The water storage level of McClure Reservoir is approaching 78% of total storage capacity,” said Alex Puglisi, Interim Source of Supply Manager. “We are currently experiencing one of the longest periods of time that the water storage level of McClure Reservoir has been near, or above, 80% of total storage capacity since the construction of the reservoir in 1926. Maintaining these levels with the probability of increased inflows due to spring snowmelt and the record-breaking precipitation events that we experienced last Summer and Fall would not be in the City’s best interest. One precipitation event during Fall 2013 raised McClure’s storage levels by 21% of total reservoir storage volume. If you do the math, the result is not a good place to be in terms of dam safety or the preservation of our water supply.”

At this point, these storage levels are more a function of current dam rehabilitation activities at our downstream Nichols reservoir than any other factor such as snow accumulation in the watershed or precipitation.

Much of the reservoir management releases of approximately 5 million gallons, or 8 cubic feet per second, from McClure Reservoir will be treated for drinking water with some bypass flows continuing into the Santa Fe River channel below Nichols Reservoir – the majority of which will be utilized by the Acequia Madre. City of Santa Fe residents and visitors will eventually see a steady flow of water in the river this spring, as planned target flows under the City’s Living River Ordinance occur from mid-April through June following a normalized hydrologic curve approximating local patterns of snowmelt and spring runoff flows. These flows will increase through mid-May, peaking in late May, and eventually decrease in June and throughout the remaining summer months except for periodic increases due to expected monsoonal season runoff. The Water Division is committed to the beneficial use of any released water to the maximum extent practicable until McClure reservoir is completely empty for planned dam renovations starting September 1, 2014. The Water Division posts and updates the reservoir water storage levels on the City’s new website at http://www.santafenm.gov/daily_water_production_reports.

]]>http://www.santafewatershed.org/city-of-santa-fe-water-division-update/feed/0Give Grande NM!http://www.santafewatershed.org/give-grande-nm/
http://www.santafewatershed.org/give-grande-nm/#commentsMon, 07 Apr 2014 01:53:50 +0000http://www.santafewatershed.org/?p=3172 Get ready to give, New Mexico! On May 6th, the Santa Fe Watershed Association is participating in the Give ¡Grande! NM fundraising event. Help us make this day a success by letting your [...]]]>

Get ready to give, New Mexico! On May 6th, the Santa Fe Watershed Association is participating in the Give ¡Grande! NM fundraising event. Help us make this day a success by letting your friends and family know about the event, and by donating on May 6th!

From the Give Grande NM website:

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Community Foundations, The Community Foundation Coalition of New Mexico(Coalition), comprised of the Albuquerque, Taos, Southern New Mexico, New Mexico and Santa Fe Community Foundations, is supporting New Mexico to participate in a national day of community giving. The nationwide initiative, Give Local America, also takes place May 6, 2014. Over 100 communities across the US, with the help of their own community foundations, will host local giving events to support local causes and organizations. Each local gift will be amplified with dollars from a national incentive pool of funds, plus New Mexico will also have its own, additional incentive prizes!

This 24-hour event, led by the Coalition, will raise as much money as possible for our local nonprofits via easy-to-use online fundraising. It will reignite the spirit of giving in our communities and provide opportunities for statewide nonprofits to get their creative juices flowing, while creating fun, engaging events for donors, old and new.

Long periods of drought, unprecedented storm events, warmer average temperatures, rising seas, unpredictable weather patterns – we are already seeing the impacts of a changing climate. Whether we like it or not, we are entering a period of warming on a global scale that is shifting weather patterns everywhere.

Here in the southwestern United States, these changes are being expressed through reduced snow pack, shifting precipitation patterns, decreased water supplies, and increased temperatures. As a result, we have already experienced catastrophic wildfires, flooding and reduced agricultural yields. Trends we expect to continue.

Fortunately, there is something we can do about it. Seeing these patterns take hold, The Santa Fe Watershed Association (SFWA) contracted with the Model Forest Policy Program to develop a climate adaptation plan through their Climate Solutions University (CSU) planning process. Under their guidance, I led a team of experts from the greater Santa Fe community, including former City of Santa Fe Water Resources Coordinator Claudia Borchert, Jemez y Sangre Regional Water Planning Council Chair Charlie Nylander, Ecotone Executive Director Jan-Willem Jansens, and La Cienega Valley Association President Carl Dickens, to develop a holistic approach to address the most pressing vulnerabilities and create an action plan to add long-term resilience to the Watershed and Santa Fe community.

Over the course of several months, the planning team studied the predicted climate shifts as well as the forest, water and economic vulnerabilities of the area. From this information, we used a prioritization system to analyze the climate risks and determine the areas of highest priority. Perhaps not surprisingly, the resulting priorities include: reduced water supplies; increased risk of wildfire and forest degradation; flooding; and a dearth of job opportunities to retain and attract working families. Taking into consideration the pillars of sustainability (environmental stewardship, economic health and social justice) the planning team developed five goals that address these issues and have the greatest chance of long-term success.[GG1]

GOAL 1: Increase the water security and ecological integrity of the Santa Fe Watershed through conservation, infiltration, groundwater recharge, and reuse.

GOAL 2: Improve forest health for resilience in the face of climate change.

GOAL 3: Develop the workforce training needs to implement this plan.

GOAL 4: Increase energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) to achieve a reduction in fossil fuel-derived and water consumptive energy sources by 45% by 2030.

The implementation of these goals will take time and resources. However, it is imperative that we continue to address our vulnerabilities on multiple levels. History tells us that when communities are faced with changes such as these, there are three potential strategies and outcomes: 1) they do nothing and are subject to the environmental impacts that ultimately destroy their cities, 2) they migrate from the area, or 3) they proactively work to adapt to the changes and ultimately thrive. What do we want for Santa Fe?

Through climate adaptation planning we can increase the resilience of our landscapes while improving our economy and creating new job opportunities. The plan we developed, Forest and Water Climate Adaptation: A Plan for the Santa Fe Watershed, outlines specific strategies and action steps to safeguard water resources and reduce hazards from storms, fires and floods. These strategies include increasing rainwater infiltration, developing municipal water reuse systems, expanding forest-thinning treatments, improving the functionality of our rivers and arroyos, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy, and developing long-term financing structures that enable all of this work to be implemented.

In order to ensure lasting change, everyone in the community will have to participate. To be a part of the solution, you can conserve water and energy, increase the permeability of your landscape, capture rainwater, reduce fuel loads on forested properties, support local farmers, and invest in renewable energy.

Our overarching goal is to ensure that Santa Fe thrives for centuries to come. What will be your role in shaping Santa Fe’s future?

To read the full report, Forest and Water Climate Adaptation: A Plan for the Santa Fe Watershed, visit www.santafewatershed.org.

Esha Chiocchio is the Climate Solutions Coordinator for the Santa Fe Watershed Association and Chair of the Energy Committee of the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission.

AL 4: Support efforts that increase energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) to reduce the fossil fuels and water used to produce energy by 45% by 2030.